SHOOT ME I AM SO SORRY! It's been over a month (or two…? Nah. *too lazy to go and check*) sense I have last updated! I finally got in a new chapter of Dog Days if you want to check that out. But yah I am sorry I will try to be better! Schools been rather overwhelming and other such but you know what. Ships. They must go on. So! Yes um! Enjoy this! Reviews make me SMIIIIIILE and sometimes giggle insanely! SO! Do it. :D Thanks! Please enjoy!

~Here's my heart and here's my mouth,

And I can't help if things come out,

Because there are words, I long to shout,

But maybe I'll just stay low~

Things were not right, he could feel it. Tony was in his lab, but he was not working. He was pacing furiously occasionally picking up some piece of paper to read through it or tossing a few pieces of scrap metal away.

Now Tony had never been one to read in to things really. Small changes in the air or the way the clouds crossed over the moon. If something bad was going to happen he had learned as a small child not to fear it in hopes someone else could come and chase it away, but to puff out his chest and just face it head on. So why was this air of things so uncomfortable and tense, almost like something incredibly terrible had happened.

Thunder rolled outside as another California storm rolled its way in. It covered up the sound of a door opening behind him. He was staring out the window at the tree, it was getting late, Loki would not show up in the rain. Tony kicked himself for the small pang of disappointment that fallowed that thought.

Every night as he tried to fall asleep sense he had first met the God under the tree, he had been at war with himself. He knew he should be turning him in. Shield would be incredibly happy to have the sneaky bastered back under their thumb.

After New York, Thor had taken a Loki back to Asgard. A Loki, not the real one. No the real one had hidden out somewhere, using what magic he had left to portal away and leave a copy in his place. Sense Thor had returned bellowing in anger at his brother's disappearance. Fury had been well….furious.

But it had been a long while sense then hadn't it? Bordering on 8 months now and there had been no trouble with him. From what Tony could see he was strong enough to make some more mischief if he wanted too, the fact that he didn't made Tony more at ease around him. A little bit too at ease really. He had had a dream last night that things had not been as they were now. Like, Loki had not attacked New York but instead came here on an expedition for some sort of magical item that had just so happened to be in that very park under that same tree.

He had awoken confused as to why he felt so happy with the results of the dream. Because he knew what love and lust felt like, this was not either. At least he thought he knew what they were. Oh he knew what lust was perfectly fine and he was in love with his girlfriend, Miss. Pepper Potts. Wasn't he?

Tony jumped with a sharp startled gasp as someone touched his shoulder. "God, don't sneak up on me like that!" Pepper just smiled up at him, "I called your name." Tony walked off to the desk to pull out some metal bars that were hidden underneath some papers. "Bit busy here Pep."

"I can see that." Pepper raised an eyebrow and smirked lightly, "I wanted to make sure you had reserved a spot at that restaurant for tonight." Tony blinked and looked up confused turning a bar around in his hands. "What restaurant?" Her eyes widened then narrowed, "Tony you said you would place a reservation for our date tonight!"

"We had a date?" As soon as he had said it he knew it was the wrong thing to say and mentally slapped himself. Pepper turned to glare at him obviously livid, "It's our first anniversary! We've been talking about this for months!" Oh… "Have we? Has it just been you?" He turned nonchalantly and pulled up another bar. And there she goes…. Another mind boggling rant where she would pull things up from random time periods that did not mean anything to this moment and go off on them. He had had practice tuning her out and just concentrated on looking busy.

Finally she slowed. With a quick glance at the clock, her rant had gone on for at least 20 minutes; he turned around and pulled her close by the shoulders to kiss her. He felt her smile lightly underneath him and just kiss back quietly.

How did she stand this? They had grown rather distant sense New York. Tony had been distant for the next few months, reliving memories of his time in captivity and the time in that damned war. Pepper had tried to be there for him, tried. It is hard to be there for someone when they are going through something that you do not know. She pulled bottles away from his hands and doctored up any hangovers that had come up anyway. But she did not know. She did not understand. Nor did she make him feel a bit better. He hated to admit it but Pepper made him feel terrible. She had always been there for him, encouraging him, picking at the rawest wounds so that he would get up and fixes them himself; she had done almost everything for him. And what did he have to show for it? A hallow kiss that made him feel rather sick.

He pulled away and smiled lightly giving her a fond shake. "I'll be there at 8 alright?" Pepper gave him a classic "really?" look. He just nodded, "I will!" Turning he went back to work connecting a few gears together hoping it looked like he really was in the middle of a project. She did not seem to buy it.

"Is something wrong?" She asked taking a step towards him. He started to turn to give her a smile and some fake answer, but a flash of green caught his eye outside in the gloom. Stopping he stared out of the window. Loki was there alright, sitting beside the tree looking down, knees curled to his chest and blood streaked down his forehead at an alarming rate. He must have looked startled because Pepper was turning around to look at what he was staring at, he caught her shoulders just in time.

"Pepper I have a confession to make." She blinked and looked up with doe eyes that used to make him feel like he was king of the world, now it just made him feel like a water boy that had forgotten to bring the water for the team. "I did not book us a reservation because I didn't want to bring you a place with people." She had looked angry at the beginning of the sentence but by the time he had finished her gaze had softened. "I was afraid that I would not get my work done and you would be left at the restaurant. So, I need you to go back home and get ready for me to pick you up when I am done alright?" She just blinked and nodded, "At 8?"

"Around 8," He gave a small nod and leaned in to give her another kiss and turned her to the door glancing back at the tree, Loki had not moved a muscle. "I need to get moving though if I am going to finish in time alright?" She just nodded, "I get it, I'm going." Turning around she kissed his nose lightly and smiled at him, "I'll see you soon!"

"Y-Yah…." He managed a meek smile and waved her off. As soon as the elevator closed he darted to the closet and grabbed a large umbrella and a coat. Throwing the coat on he turned to open the umbrella and dart out the back door in to the rain. Pushing through the bushes at top notch speed he kept his head raised in hopes to catch another glance at the god. He only slowed once he was in the clearing with the tree and walked over carefully. "Hey. Care to explain why you suddenly love water?" Tony slung out teasingly walking over. Loki looked up and his heart stopped.

How was this the same person that had tossed him out of the window? He had looked strong and rather intimidating (not that he would ever admit that) then, but now… Now he looked like death in a living form. Like a broken puppet that was forced to move its own strings.

His hair was messily pressed back behind his ears and was matted with mud and blood. There was a rather large gash on the left side of his head, right on the hair line. The blood dripped down his ear to his neck and there was some red foam bubbling at the corner of his lip. His skin was a pasty pale, as if it was painted on badly with cheap paint. He was wearing what looked like ripped up remains of armor, really it was not even clothes anymore. Sure it covered all of him minus a few patches of arms and one bruised looking piece of his side, but the metal was hanging off of him in heavy uncomfortable juts with the leather peeling off alongside it.

As Tony got closer he saw the worst part, his eyes. He stopped and frowned lightly pulling the umbrella above the both of him to ward off the wind and water and moved closer to sit next to him. You know how eyes are supposed to be windows to like your soul or something like that? His were clouded and half closed in a daze as his chest heaved for air. Tears leaked down from the clouded windows though the rain made it difficult to tell which drop was which.

"Jesus reindeer games, who did you piss off this time?" An erratic breath and a small hallow pained laugh fallowed the few moments of silence. Tony smiled lightly at the attempt and reached out to touch the blood lightly quietly muttering an apology as Loki winced away from him. Why didn't he think to bring a medical kit.

"Come on…" Tony stood up and offered Loki a hand, to which he just stared at dully. "I am going to take you inside," he explained calmly, "And we are going to you up real quickly alright?" He did not know why he was offering to do this. So many things could go wrong. But still he was just watching him sit here in the mud and rain looking as if he couldn't tell what was happening now or what had happened somewhere in a dream. Besides he could not help the small ping of worry at bounced around in his mind as he reached down to grab his arm and pull him up.

"Hey. Listen to me okay? I'm going to take you in to my house alright? Get you a band aid and something strong to drink. It's the best medicine." Tony smirked lightly and nodded as he explained this staring in to his eyes and shaking him lightly a few times, "Understand?" Loki blinked and nodded. Finally at least that was a response.

Sure Tony had never been one to cower away from his fears, but as he held the umbrella with one hand and pulled Loki along with the other, he was starting to worry that he should start.